September 28, 1944 Sinatra visits the White House
PhotoplayJuly 1945
Our Great Loss: No blow has ever struck Hollywood and its people with
the force and heartbreak caused by the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Shock and sadness were on the faces of all. Even those who disagreed
politically were warm in their praise of him. Clark Gable, for one, had
supported Dewey, but he sent Mrs. Roosevelt a beautiful, long wire of
condolence that came from his heart. He surely did it for no insincere
reason — for he’s not that type— and besides, very few people even knew
about it. But probably no person in the U. S. A., outside of the
President’s personal family, felt his loss more keenly than Frank Sinatra,
whose devotion to The Chief almost amounted to worship. How he worked
for him in the last campaign is well known. How he treasures every
little memento ever received from the White House, perhaps is not. There
is abig color photograph of Roosevelt framed in Frankie’s bedroom.
Framed, too, are several little invitations to various functions that came
to him from The Great Man. And his most prized possession is the
autographed photograph of F.D.R. which stands beside his bed. Frank
Sinatra did much more than give lip-service to the man and his ideals.
And the work, time and heart he has given to these principles, he is
still continuing. The lectures on tolerancethat Sinatra delivered on
his recent trip east are only the beginning in his determination to
spread the ideas and dreams of Roosevelt — and help make them come true.
Yes, “Love Thy Neighbor” is more than just a phrase to Frankie — and he
is proving it. By the time you read this, he will be on an overseas
entertainment tour. And when he gets back, he’ll go right on with
imbuing teen-agers with the right thoughts! Bless him!
